Kamala Harris seizes the arena in a week of historic turn around

Supporters of Vice President Kamala Harris react to her speaking during a campaign rally at West Allis Central High School on July 23, 2024 in West Allis, Wisconsin. Harris made her first campaign appearance as the party’s presidential candidate, with an endorsement from President Joe Biden. (Photo by Jim Vondruska/Getty Images)

I was in the airport two Sunday afternoons ago when I first saw the news that Joe Biden was ending his presidential campaign. I was still there when he followed up a few minutes later with his endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris. By the time I happily put my head on my own pillow that night after a long trip, anyone paying attention could already feel it coming. 

Everything about the 2024 presidential election changed last week. 

In that week, the newly launched Harris for President campaign raised over $200 million, gathered 170,000 new volunteers, held 2,300 events in battleground states, and in two days on Tik Tok, attracted 2.9 million followers. Those are some “wow” stats. But none of the data really captures the moment contextually. 

Every Democrat who matters endorsed her in that first week. The Clintons, the Obamas, and the leaders of both congressional caucuses have jumped on board. Beyoncé has lent the campaign use of her song, “Freedom,” and I’ve heard it dozens of times already. 

Then there are the Zoom rallies. It started with a gathering of black women on July 21st, with over 44,000 participants that led to $1.5 million raised. Black men followed the next day with over 20,000. White women refused to be left out when their call last Thursday had 160,000 participants that raised $8.5 million. White men had 50,000 registered for a call Monday night and that number was still growing as I wrote this. 

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That’s excitement. That’s momentum. And in a campaign that the Republican nominee has long reduced to a battle of ratings and rallies, a race he was winning before Biden’s departure, he is now getting obliterated. Even polling has begun to shift, with Fox News releasing a poll on Sunday showing favorability flipping in several battleground states to now favor Harris. 

Democrats would have always been happy to run solely on the Biden administration’s record. It’s a good one. But the campaign was flailing because it had been reduced to the issue of the president’s age. And the truth is, he is too old to persuade Americans that he’s not. I’m glad he stopped trying.

With the uncertainty of a path forward removed on the Democrat side, the post-convention honeymoon for Republicans ended quicker than it should have too. Ten days ago, they were acting like they had already won. They aren’t anymore. 

It’s been a whirlwind for Republicans the last three weeks. Let’s recap.

There was the July 13 assassination attempt on Donald Trump. In GOP world, this scary moment was treated like an opportunity. What better way can a 78-year-old candidate in questionable health look like the tough guy he’s laughably pretended to be for years? Raising a fist and yelling “Fight!” while blood from the nick on his ear trickles down his face is as gangster as, say, a Georgia mugshot. 

Ultimately, it led to one House committee hearing and the resignation by the Director of the Secret Service, Kimberly Cheatle. Otherwise, it’s already yesterday’s news.

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Oh yea, the GOP also had their convention in the days that followed, and they seemed to be really proud of it. Even the appointment of Ohio Senator J.D. Vance as Trump’s running mate was well received for a day or two. Oh my, how that has changed. 

Vance is already on the defensive for a variety of reasons. The big one is the weird “cat lady” attacks on Americans without children, proving defense is not his skill. Other fodder comes from the allegation that Vance admitted to having sex with a couch in his book, “Hillbilly Elegy.” Having read the book, I knew that wasn’t true, but the weird accusation has now taken on a life of its own, and people are having a ball making fun of him. He was never going to help much but now he’s hurting. 

The tide has turned, and even loyal Trump supporters are worried by the new energy. 

Usually, the best days of any presidential campaign are right after its convention. For Republicans, those days are behind them. For Democrats, their Chicago convention is still three weeks away. 

The VP pick will also be a boost, no matter who gets the nod. Former U.S. Attorney General, Eric Holder, has been put in charge of the vetting process and all of his choices are excellent ones. 

It’s amazing what can change in a week these days. For those warning Democrats not to let the giddiness of the moment convince them that the electorate has changed, I disagree. The electorate actually has changed. 

I study and teach the topic of movements. They are hard to predict, but easy to recognize. And this is definitely a big one.